The Hunter and The Dragon
by Arcane Dragonlord
Summary: Hunter is a man hailing from Karo alongside his brother Loxahg. Caught by The Shepherds and mistaken for Brigands by The Khans, trouble ensues and they soon find themselves in the Shepherds. How will their presence affect our heroes? [Rated T for Violence and Swearing]


**_Chapter 1: Grand Beginnings_**

-9 Years Ago

"Hand over all your gold or I rend your throat in two!", the Assasin demanded. Two boys hid in the corner, leaning over their father's mutilated corpse. His throat poured out warm, fresh blood which spilled onto the floor and glistened in the moonlight. "Father, wake up! Wake up, please!", the one of the boys asked. The other pulled him back, "Hunter, Father's DEAD! C'mon! We have to escape!", he whispered. "Before the marauders find us!" The boy known as Hunter shook free of his grasp and looked to his Mother. "Loxahg (Law-ks-zah-g), we have to help!" The boy was serious, he only called him by his real name instead of Locke when he was serious.

"HAND IT OVER!", the brigand yelled even louder. The woman shook her head. "Never! You'll kill us anyway! Leave my sons alone!" The man grinned beneath his hood, eyes looking menacing at the woman before him. "Clever girl. I guess it's your funeral.", and he slashed the woman's throat. The mother held her hand to her fatal wound, and gasped in horror in a futile attempt to stop the pain. She collapsed onto the ground. Crimson sprayed across the hardwood floors, painting the once beautiful home a sickening red. The woman twitched on the floor. The assassin ran his tongue across the blunt end of his sword, swallowing the metallic crimson that enveloped his blade, all with a deathly grin on his face. "Heh heh heh... I love the taste of fresh blood..." Hunter leapt from the corner, despite his brother's warnings. "MOTHER!", he yelled.

He kneeled by his mother's fallen side. "Mother, no... Please..." The woman's head lolled, signifying her death.

Above him, the man laughed. "Well, well, well... If it isn't the beast himself. The nuisance that plagues Karo. You should kill yourself, boy! This world has no place for abominations like you.", he cackled. Loxahg rushed over to his brother. Hunter's eyes flickered from green to red, almost like a third eyelid was opening and closing above his iris. His fists clenched, and red dripped down his hands. "...You... Bastard...", Hunter growled. "Heh, looks like someone knows some big bad words! Such naughty children must be punished!", the murderer laughed he raised his sword above his head and prepared to strike. Hunter's expression changed to pure anger as he looked to the man before him. He stuck his sword down-

SCRIIIIIIII!

Time completely stopped, and suddenly the boy found himself in a cavern with a cage built into the wall. Behind the bars lay a Black Dragon, eyes glowing red as he looked to the flea-sized boy outside of the bars.

"Ah... It has been so long since I've seen you, boy...", the dragon growled, surprisingly, in english.

"Who... Who are you?"

"Now now... You should now whom I am... I am the true 'abomination'."

"You're... You're the..."

The dragon adjusted itself before laying down casually.

"Well, yes, in fact! I am the so-called, *Ahem* 'Demon of Karo', or Draccooros, or just Dracus for short , your choice, really! But past that, I can't help but notice your quickly approaching death.", he laughed.

"I-I'm about to die!?", Hunter inquired, fear evident in his tone.

The Dragon sighed, "Well, yes. 'Circle of life' as it is... But I do not wish to die, so you should not either."

The young boy's heart was pounding, he was talking to the Demon that made so many people shun him! "H-How do... Do y-you mean?"

The Dragon growled at him, "SHOW SOME SPINE, BOY!" He took a breath, and settled down. Hunter jumped and nearly had a heart attack.

"I'm willing to make a lifelong deal with you, mortal...", and he held the tips of his claws against each other, his scales flickering in the torchlight. He gave a smug grin, if you could call it that.

"Walk past the bars, boy."

He didn't move.

"I SAID WALK!"

And he did, nearly having a heart attack.

The massive reptile sighed again, craning his head down to better look at the 10 year old.

"Now, this man-", he extended a claw out, and above a picture of the assassin appeared, "-is about to kill you." The boy meekly nodded. "I, however, can prevent that. I can save your pathetic life." The boy looked confused. "Why would you want to save me?"

"DID YOU NOT LISTEN!? *sigh* I could rip you to shreds right now..."

The scaly beast unsheathed it's shining fangs and glistening white claws which clashed violently against it's jet-black hide.

"...But I won't. Do you want me to save you boy?"

Hunter gave a shy nod.

"How much power do you desire, lad?"

He stared at him.

"Enough to kill him? Enough to make ALL fear you? Enough to RULE THE WORLD!?"

"Enough to keep my friends and loved ones safe."

The reptile was taken aback by this, he really cared about that other fleshling?

But it meant nothing. This would benefit him, after all.

'I don't think he'll have any friends left after this. Har har! Ah well, might as well finish the task.'

"Alright then... Stand still."

The Dragon pulled his massive head back, taking in as much air as possible. "Wha-What are you-"

The Dragon unleashed a massive jet of flame on the boy, searing him to the bone, but miraculously, not leaving a single mark. The flames were a violet shade, and blisteringly hot. He cried out in pain from the flames enveloping his young body. The Demon shot fire at him for almost a full minute before giving out, with the boy sprawled out on the ground. The creature laughed. "Ah hah hah hah... Young lad, get up, a little fire shouldn't end you... Now return to you world, so the real fun can begin..." He nudged him with a single talon, urging the boy to move. He tore a bit of his clothing above his heart, revealing a mark that looked like a dragon marking. Hunter slowly got up, and felt the area around where the mark was.

His eyes widened in shock when he felt the mark. "Mmhmm... You now bear my crest, and I have leant you half of my power. Now go wreck havoc on the world for me, boy!", the beast laughed. "HAVOC!? I wanted to help!" The Dragon's laughter stopped. "Ungrateful Whelp! You should THANK ME! Legions will bow to you!" The boy still refused. "You tricked me!" "Smart boy, that only took you, what, 10 minutes to figure that out? I'm the damn Demon, and you think I'd be honest with you, cute, NOW GET OUT OF HERE." The Demon smashed his claw on the boy and he was transported back to the scene.

"What the...", Hunter questioned, just before the blade began moving again. "DIE!", the man yelled.

Clink!

"Hunter, what the hell is happening to you!?", Loxahg asked, worried of what was happening to his brother. Hunter looked to his shoulder to where the blade should've cut. Instead of a blood gushing wound...

...There was a tear in his clothes, which revealed black scales, identical to the Demon's, enveloping his limb. His skin flicked up in small patches, instantly changing colour and texture. The area of the crest burned up in pain, and he felt the Dragon assuming control of his body. "GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!", he yelled, clutching his chest and head from the pain. The assassin stepped back in horror, terrified of this boy. Cold hands slithered up Hunter's spine, scraping him with bone-chilling cold knives. Iron rods felt like they were branding his chest, and in his mind, the dragon cackled. "Wha... What are you!?", the previously confident assailant questioned, horrified by his deafening screams.

Slowly, he got up, and walked towards the man, eyes glowing a blood-red shade. Closer, and closer, he approached the man. His hair was a black tipped with red, the red seemingly glowing. The man slashed defensivly against the boy, but the suddenly appearing scales bent and broke the sword. Without a weapon, the assassin pressed against the doorway. "D-D-Don't you... C-C-Come any closer!" The boy/dragon smiled menacingly. "Revenge is all I want. Anger is what fuels it. Now you will pay your dues..."

"GRAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

"AAAAAARRRRGGGGHH!"

Hunter woke up from his slumber with a yell. He clutched his heart, feeling it pounding at his chest. He began to take ragged deep breaths, trying to calm himself. "Gods... When will this end...", he questioned. This was the 7th time he'd had the nightmares of his past this month, and it was only 2 weeks into the month. He regretted that deal. The deal with the devil. He calmed his nerves, taking deep breaths, as he regained his composure. "Gah hah, gah hah, gah hah... Ugh... Dammit..." He shook his head and ran a hand through his red and black hair. A man landed in the place beside him, resting a hand on his blade's pommel. "Nightmares again?"

Hunter nodded silently, "Yeah... Getting worse every day, Loxahg."

Loxahg rested and took a seat on a rather large tree branch-yes they're in a tree- and looked his brother in the eyes. "Well, you seem pretty shaken up, and I doubt you'll be sleeping anytime soon." He handed his brother his pack. "We should take advantage and start moving. We're almost through Regna Ferox, and Ylisse is only a two days away." The man rubbed his eyes to wake himself, and dropped to the snow covered ground. "Yeah... I'll see if I can pick up something from the town to eat, and we can be on our way.", he half-yawned. He set his pack on the ground, and searched through it for his hooded coat. When he found it he pulled it over his armor ensemble. He placed his sword sheath from beneath his coat to his side, and pulled his hood up. Hunter pulled his bag onto his back and strode off. "We'll meet up at the outside of Arena Ferox!"

Hunter wandered through the town searching for a bakery. Just a loaf of bread or two was all he needed. He slowly trudged through the snowy Feroxi town, careful not to be recognized. "Excuse me, sir?" , he asked the baker. "Ah... Yes, my lad!", the middle-aged man responded. He wore a bear fur cloak, with a brown leather vest atop it. "What can I do for ya, my boy?", he asked with a carefree expression. "Yes, erm... Might I purchase 2 loaves of bread, sir?" The man bellowed in laughter. 'What's so funny? Oh Gods please don't let him know...' "HAR HAR HAR! There's no need for such damn formal speakin', m'boy! Yer in Ferox! You must not be around here, eh? Come now, where 're ya from?"

'ALWAYS that question, dammit...'

"I'm from Ferox, sir..." The man stifled a laugh. "Boy, I know your not from 'round 'ere! Where th' hell are ya from?" "I'd rather not say..." The man smacked his shoulder, almost enough to shove him into the snow. "NONSENSE, my boy! I just like t' know ma' customers! Tell me now, and you can be on your merry way to wherever you're from! Is it really that difficult?"

The young man was beginning to grow annoyed. All this for 2 loaves of bread... "If I tell you, will you fucking sell me the Gods damned bread already!?", he yelled, slamming his fist on the table. It developed a large crack in that area. The baker took a step back, obviously in shock from his temper. "Alright! Alright! Here's your damned bread. 1 GP each! A special deal! Just for you!"

Hunter grumbled and dropped 10 GP into the man's hand. He took the bread and as he walked away, he looked over his shoulder, and replied,

"I'm from Karo."

•••

"The fight for the throne won't happen for a few days," , the East-Khan Flavia, exclaimed. "But I do have one more request for you, Chrom." Chrom raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?" The Khan continued. "Ferox has had a shady duo trekking through it's lands. They've been headed to Ylisse, and they seem to be trying to keep a low profile. I was wondering..." "If we could aid you with the mysterious two?", Robin asked. "Yes, only if it weren't going to bother you." Frederick stepped forwards, "It would not be a problem at all, Milady. It would better aid both kingdoms if we dealt with those marauders as soon as we can."

Chrom nodded in agreement. "Do you or Basilio have any information?" Flavia nodded. "Yes, we know that they are both able fighters, and armed. One of them can somehow become intensely powerful, so I urge you to use caution. The villages have only seen him in a black cloak. The other, he wields a bow, and a sword. He wears dark lightweight armor, and a cape.", she warned. The Ylissean prince smiled, "With Robin's tactics, and the Shepherds' strength, we can catch them." The woman laughed, "Ahahah! Yes, I like you, Prince Chrom." "We'll be on our way then. You and Basilio won't have to deal with these two anymore." With that, the group parted for their mission.

When the Shepherds walked outside the snowstorm let up, thankfully, so the group wasn't hindered by any weather. Lissa ran to her brother's side. "Chrom!", she yelled, causing the man to jump. "Wha- what's wrong Lissa?" She tugged his sleeve and pointed to a dark figure walking around the outside of Arena Ferox. "Isn't that the man Flavia described?" Chrom's eyes widened. It was him. He had green hair, a bow strapped to his back,and sword at his side. He had a black cloak but there was no doubt it was him. "Lissa, stay here, Frederick and I will handle him. Frederick!" "Of course Milord."

The two kept a distance from the man, who was lighting a fire. They crept around him, and slowly made their way towards him. They had white fur skins atop their armor to blend in, and silently approached, closer and closer. When they were right behind him-

"NOW!"

They tackled him down and attempted to pin him, but he wouldn't give in. He kicked and wrestled the two Shepherds off him, easily sliding out of each grip. He threw a punch, which caught Chrom across the jaw, and Frederick kicked him to the snow. He grabbed the Great knight's foot and pulled him to the floor as well. He rolled out of the path of Chrom's kick, and jumped to his feet. Suddenly, two strong arms locked onto his from behind, hands locked behind his neck. "HAH HAH! Look's like 'teach caught this one!" He was now effectively trapped. He could only look forwards, between the two other men, to see what he didn't want to. "You guys need to get out of here, NOW!" The man behind him laughed. "The Vaike ain't gonna fall for that one!" The Blue-Haired man crossed his arms, obviously confused as to why he wanted such a thing. "Why would you ask such a thing of Milord, brigand?!", the man in a large suit of armor asked. "It doesn't matter! Someone who you REALLY don't want to see angry is coming. And I mean REALLY! So for you own safety, RUN DAMMIT!" The three other man looked to each other. The approaching man unsheathed claws, and ran animal-like, on all fours, his eyes showing his bloodthirst.

"HUNTER DON'T!"

•••

Two steps back...

•••

"Arena Ferox should be around here somewhere...", Hunter muttered to himself. He still wore his cloak over his armor. His armor was a jet black, with a tint of blue. His armor consisted of cuisses, which held to his thigh with belt-like bands, greaves, scale pauldrons, fur gardbraces, gauntlets, a chest plate which extended to his groin, two belts which criss-crossed over his chest, and a cape with the outside the colour of his armor and the inside donning a magnificent red. His gauntlets had tatters of red cloth hanging from each purposely, giving a battle worn appearence. He wore a hauberk beneath his clothes. (Use the wiki if you don't know these terms.) He trudged through the snow looking for his brother. He held a small bag carrying the bread from the village, along with a few other things the villagers gave him in fear. That included a few more loaves of bread, salted pork, and a few small bullions he carried in his gold pouch. For half an hour he saw a mix of white, white, brown and green trees, then more white. He checked his compass. "Hmm... Locke should be less than 1 klick south... I should meet him in a few minutes..." He flipped it shut and returned it to his pocket. At least they hadn't run into trouble, at least as bad as their time in Valm. The worse experience in Ferox was coming to blows with a drunken guard, of which they were then chased out by the other Feroxi guards. If anything, they were definitely no longer incognito, half of this frozen country probably heard of them one way or another... 'Good Naga, why can't life just be simple?

Because I'm a monster. Locke doesn't deserve this. He deserves better, a real family, and not some demon-man.' He shook his head to clear the thought. If Locke wanted to leave, he would leave. Even if it would mean abandoning his brother...

The train of thought dragged on until Hunter finally saw a clearing with a large building in the center. By it was an orange glow. 'There he is. Gods, I thought I'd never find him in this damn region!' He walked closer to it until he saw 2 men walking up to him. They weren't hard to see, even with their white fur coats, but then again all his senses were enhanced. 'What are they doing..?' Suddenly, the duo tackled Locke. He thrashed and kicked, but was matched when a shirtless blond man grasped his arms and head in an iron grip. He struggled against the man, but the blue-haired man held the tip of his sword to his chest, and a large armor-clad man held his spear in a manner, saying 'Don't move. I won't hesitate to kill you.'

This drove him mad. His brother, his innocent brother, was being threatened!

"Give in..."

'No... Not this time, Dracus!'

"Fuel your anger..."

'No... Handle... Calmly...'

"They will kill him..."

'I'll... Stop... Them...'

"KILL THEM FIRST!"

"RRRRRAAAAAGGGGHHH!"

Hunter clutched his head at the sharp pain emulating inside him. The demon was tearing him apart from the inside! His pupil changed to slit instead of rounded, and his hair shot backwards in spikes. The red tips glowed and emitted streams of red smoke. Scales flicked up from his skin, turning black and rough.

His eyes shot open.

Blood red pupils locked onto their target.

Sprinting across at increasing speeds, he charged at Locke's assilants. His hands changed to talons, feet to claws, and great red-webbed wings emerged from his back. He changed to running on all fours. Hunter's face changed to a draconic form, snout bearing an uncountable amount of fangs, craving the warm blood of the enemy. His spine extended, growing a muscular tail with a spikes leading down the center, ending in a sharp spade. What was once nail changed to stronger-than-steel claws, which could easily rend a foe in 2. Black horns curled behind his head, a red-tipped black mane crowning his image.

Hunter had changed to a dragon.

"GRAAAAAWWWW!"

"HUNTER DON'T!"

Hunter sent the armoured man flying with a powerful headbutt. The blond who once held Locke had backed up and searched desperately for his axe. 'WHERE DID THE OTHER BASTARD GO-'

"GRAAAUUUAAAAAHHH!"

He howled in pain, and shot flames randomly in anger. He turned to see the shining blade of the other embedded in his underbelly. He plucked it and threw it away, far from his reach. "YOU WOULD HARM MY INNOCENT BROTHER, YOU WILL PAY!" He pinned him down with his front claws. "Hunter STOP!" Locke demanded, but Hunter did not comply. The Dragon looked to his target, arched his neck, and took a deep breath. "MILORD!" "CHROM!"

About to unleash 5000 degrees of white hot flames-

"HUNTER, STOP! "

He looked to the source, to find Locke pleading for him to stop this. He drooped his ears, and his eyes changed to his regular green, and round pupil-ed original version. He sat down human-like and looked at him. "Grrm...", he grumbled softly. "GAH!" Pain shot into Hunter's chest, dead in the center. The man's blade, handed to him by the armored man, had struck him in the chest, barely missing his heart, but puncturing and filling a lung with blood. He coughed onto the previously crystal-white snow, covering it in a sickly red. He stepped backwards, coughing up the red fluid that threatened to choke him. "HUNTER!", Locke yelled. Hunter fell on his side in a pool of crimson, loosing feeling in his limbs as he changed back to his human form. The blue haired man, now known as Chrom, gazed as the reptilian beast slowly changed to a man, a man who was choking on his own blood. "What in Naga's name is going on here!? Milord, the man!" , the blue knight yelled, rushing to Chrom's side. "HUNTER! DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES!", Locke yelled, hoping for his brother's oncoming death to be false. "Vaike! Send for Lissa! Quickly!", Chrom ordered. Instantly, the blonde, Vaike, ran off to a larger mass hiding around the corner. "Locke...", said the draconic man. He unhitched his chestplate and stared at the gaping wound. The cut ran across his chest. It went deep enough to puncture his lung, a vein, and showed a few torn muscles. His hands shook. No blade had ever caused his brother such damage! No weapon he'd seen ever caused him this pain! "Alright, you,-", a deep voice called. Someone gripped the back of his cloak and heaved him into the air. "-what do you think you're doing disrupting Ferox!?", he said in his low, commanding voice. He stayed silent, simply squirming out of his grasp and returning to his brother's side. "Hunt... C'mon... Gah, please let me have one damn elixer!"

He emptied his pockets and tore through his bag, but the man was out of healing salves. "DAMMIT!", he smashed a fist on the ground. He pulled his cloak off and wrapped it tightly around the wound.

Locke wore a mysterious green cloak with foreign symbols along the sleeves in gold. The collar went up to his chin, and was decorated in a variety of different gold embroidery. The cuffs formed a finger which wraps around his index finger. A hood sat comfortably on the back of his neck, the sides decorated with a gold eye on both sides, and the coat-tails came together and formed the shape of a dragon's tail. A gold inverted 'V' ran across his back in an eye-catching manner, the gold countering the green. The end of his coat fell in golden fringes, hanging over his tan, baggy pants. He had his coat folded to have a lapel, held together by a blue crystal brooch. The other men looked in confusion at their clothes. No Ylissean, Plegian, Feroxi, or Valmesse dressed in such a manner.

Hunter's green eyes saw Locke's saddened amber eyes. "C'mon... We're almost there... We're almost free..."

The other men took a step back. "What do you mean by free?"

"Free... Away from our old troubles... We're almost there, damn you! GET UP!"

"Sorry... Heh..."

Locke looked over to the sound of crunching snow. A young girl, wearing a yellow dress, ran up to Hunter. "Gods! I'll have you better soon! Ok..." She began a small chant under her breath, and the cloth which covered the wound emitted a small green glow. Hunter's droopy eyes shot open, and he slowly sat up, using his arms to keep himself upright. "What the..." Locke sighed in relief that his brother was alright. "Thank the Gods..." He pulled his brother into a tight, but manly, hug. "I thought you we're going to die!" He pulled back and punched his brother in the chin. "Gargh! Dammit, Locke!", Hunter grunted. "The hell was that for!?"

Locke gave him a look that said 'You already know you dastard, but I'll still tell you' "I told you to keep him under control!" "What choice did I have!? They were going to kill you!"

The blue haired male barged in. "Umm, it appears that our information was wrong, we were told you two were marauders!" The two looked at each other, then back to Chrom. "Nope, no marauding, just traveling." "Sirs!", the man in large armor yelled. They jumped at his tone, then settled. "I overheard you speaking of 'Being away from old troubles'. What do you mean by that?" The cleric and the injured man were ignoring conversation and continued to analyze the man's wounds. "I can't see if you're doing better if you don't let me see your wound!" The man pushed her hands back. "No, please ma'am! I can assure you that I'm fine!" But she wouldn't give up so easily. She pushed back, and as soon as he pushed back again, she reached around and tore his shirt open, over his lungs and chest. She blushed, the knight blinked several times, 'Vaike' laughed saying, "His muscles can't match mine!", and 'Chrom' took this seriously. "What is that black mark over your heart?"

"Awww...", he murmured to himself.

"Shit."

And now...

'How do I freaking explain this!?'

,Hunter thought, panicking. He scratched his head nervously. "Well? Why do you have a tattoo of a dragon crossing over your heart?", the Knight asked. 'Yeah, well fuck you too sir.' He sighed, it was better to have them know then raise more suspicions. He sat upright, then, looking into 'Chrom's' eyes, he said, "An old scar. That's all you need to know." The large man scowled. "Milord, this man is eerily suspicious. He claims they are escaping their past, and the man is a Manakete." "Umm... What's a Manakete?" No one listened."They both wear robes different from the culture of any country I've read of, and Ferox has had disturbances because of them!" The blond man crossed his arms. "'Teach' don't trust 'em much either! Chrom?" The blue haired man known as Chrom sighed. 'Gods... Now what'll we put through?' "We're handing you to Flavia, as she requested. Sir Frederick, bind them." The brunette looked to him. "Yes, Milord." He reached over to his head and neck. "Wait, no! Let me explai-"

Unconscious.

Sometime later...

'Agh... My neck is killing me... What shabby inn did we end up in today..?'

Blink. Rock walls. Iron bars. Steel chains. Armor exchanged for regular cotton. 'The hell did we do!? Riiight. We're in jail...' He tried to stand up, but was pulled down be the chains. He pulled against them multiple time, creating an echo of rattles down the cavern/prison. "SHUT THE HELL UP!", a booming voice sounded, possibly walking closer. "Oh... It's this bastard. Damn criminal. Shut up before I make ya'!"

Eye twitch.

"Oh! Did I make th' wee boy angry! Here! Have a drink!" In the small box shaped hole for delivering food, he dumped his mug of ale on his head. He bellowed a great laugh, grasping his hair and whipping Hunter's forehead against the bars. The drink reeked of alcohol, with a large amount of alcohol, with some alcohol mixed in with the alchohol. Did I mention it smelt like alchohol? The guards breath smelled bad even from here, and he was sitting on the floor. Hunter let out an animalistic growl, catching the drunk man's attention. "Aww... Did I make the wee monster more angry? Well, I've got news fer ya', boy!" He gave a steel gaze to the man, trying to instill a sense of fear, and to back off for his safety, but his IQ level prevented that. "Yer a damn fool. Not being strong enuff to save yer brother, Lowk, was it? Har Har Har-"

Hunter flicked his obsidian-sharp scales out and instantly cut the chains and handcuffs. Before the drunkard could even react his airways were blocked by a powerful dragon claw.

Hunter had his hand in dragon form and was strangling him.

His eyes were the same blood-red they were before, finally instilling horror into the middle-aged guard.

In a voice that seemed half-demonic, almost as if two people were grumbling,

"WHERE IS HE!? TELL ME OR I RIP THROUGH YOUR THROAT, YOU SORRY EXCUSE OF A MAN!"

Sobered up, he meekly gestured "Down the hall, first right."

He held him, crushing his neck, until he fell unconscious,and dropped his body to the floor with a clatter. He laid limp, and his head rolled along his shoulders. "Reynald? What the hell is going on over there?", a voice called from around the corner, down the hall. "Don't tell me you're teasing the bastards again."

"Give in... You need power... Limitless power..."

'No damn way ...'

"You need strength to kill..."

'I SAID No damn way, Dracus! I'll use a different source.'

"Dammit..."

He looted the man quickly and stole his cell's key. Unlocking the cell, he backed against the wall, and flicked out dragon ears to sense the oncoming man. '25 feet. 22 feet. 17 feet...' He counted, hearing each individual step the man took. He sheathed his scales and claw, and rolled his shoulder. "Reynald? What's going on here-" SMACK! Hunter landed a strong punch straight to his face, instantly knocking him unconscious similarly with his beer-bellied amigo. The man fell backward, his nose broken and bloodied. Hunter pulled him around the corner and hid him in his cell. He looted him, taking the keys which unlocked the armory, and locked the cells.

He kept his draconic ears out instead of human ones, but with great effort.*

*Due to not being a Manakete, Hunter does not need a dragonstone to become fully or partially draconic. However, he exerts himself quicker when he is partially draconic, because he needs to maintain focus on a certain part of his body. He chooses this over becoming fully draconic sometimes because later, when he changes back, or naturally does after a max of 12 hours, he will have to rest for a certain amount of time depending on how much he stayed as a dragon. Being so only partially solely means he will experience pain in the area he transformed.*

His ears flickered back and forth, listening to different frequencies to better accommodate his senses. "I'm excited for the tournament, man! I heard that some guy named Marth-" 'Useless.'

Flick.

"So who are you rooting for? I'm rooting for Basilio, the man's got an awesome champi-" 'No use.'

Flick.

"Did you hear about the Demon they caught? The man's a fucking MANAKETE!" "You're fucking SERIOUS!? Scales will earn us BIG CASH man!" 'Damned poachers. Have to remember to pay them a visit...'

Flick.

"Nnnyaaaghh...Nygh... NYAAGGHH... UGGHHH!" '?'

"Toby, shut up." "But Gaybuscus, I'm BOOORRED!" "Stop calling me that! It's Gabe-Buscus. There's a pause." "This is no fun Gaybuscus! I'm looking for ADVENTURE!" "I hear there's an adventure in the middle of the road!" "What!? Why didn't you tell me?" 'That was... Erm... odd... Back to business!'

Flick.

"How much are we getting paid for staring at weapons!?" "Good Naga Ty- We have to ensure no one steals from the armory! Now pipe down!" 'Bingo! Now to just follow the source!' He sneakily

treaded through the hallways, listening closely to any sounds. 'Damn guards. I'll kill them for taking my brother!' He heard a footstep around the corner, and he jumped and strangled the man.

He jerked around, before falling limp. Hunter dropped him to the floor carelessly, and proceeded on his way to the armory. He bolted through the halls, now having trouble keeping his dragon ears out. 'Son of a- My ears...' The flicked back one last time, before becoming human again and beginning to bleed. It felt like knives were jabbing him, but he pressed on. Hunter kneed a guard in the gut, and when he doubled over, he kicked his neck, knocking him unconscious. 'Ah, a weapon...' He looted the sleeping body and took off again for his items.

'There it is... The dastards are probably guarding it heavily... But it won't be enough.', Hunter thought to himself. He leaned over to look though to the doorway, and saw almost 10 sentries posted in the armory, all armed. He took a stone from the floor, and through it down the hall he was in. "Huh? Whawas that?" "I don't fucking know! Darryl, you check it out! Ty, you too!" "Fine, fine... C'mon Darryl." Two pairs of heavy steps came down the hall, and as they turned the corner and out of the other's sight, Hunter took their heads and whacked them together. They fell limp, and Hunter laid one onto the ground silently. 'Idiots...' He took one of them over his shoulder, and ran to the end of the hall. He then through it forwards and created a loud clank. "WHA- INTRUDER! C'mon!" Just as Hunter perceived, the majority left their positions to see the fallen man. He ran and took an alternate path to the armory. He stopped in front of it, and thought up a plan quickly. 'I'll create a quick distraction and retrieve a weapon quick. Then I can fight back and hold them off until I recover my abilities.' He took another stone from the floor, and threw it into the room. In their distraction, he disarmed one of the 3 guards and took his sword. "Wha- THE PRISONER!", the unarmed sentry yelled. "Hmph, there goes my cover. Oh well, not like I need it to end you.", Hunter taunted. The knight charged with a lance, and Hunter ducked and severed the handle. Another came towards him, and he rolled from it's path, and cut the handle as well. "My my... Not the best tactics, hm?" 'I shouldn't taunt my enemies during a battle...' With their weapons in the ground, 2 knights and unmounted cavalier took more weapons from the rack. 'Not the best place to disarm foes...' He took his personal blade from the rack and held a dagger in the other. The yells from their match brought attention to the other missing sentinels, and they came running back. 'I don't have much time, I have only about half a minute to- gah- get out of here before I'm outmatched!', the man thought as he narrowly dodged an Iron Lance. Dodging a bronze lance, he ran towards his armor and threw it on his shoulder. He sheathed his sword and shot a fireball-using his breath-at the guards to slow them. He skidded to a halt as he came face to face with the same blue-haired man from before. They both slowly reached for their blades, and quickly pointed them to the other when they grabbed them. "Who are you and where is my brother you dastard!", the escapee demanded.

"DO NOT SPEAK TO MILORD IN SUCH A MANNER, BRIGAND!",

a low baritone voice said from behind him. He felt a lance press up to his back and saw other armed warriors flood into the hall. Hunter looked to examine them. An eyeglasses wearing mage, a shirtless fighter, a blond cleric, a green unmounted cavalier, a similar crimson female cavalier, an archer of sorts, and a white haired... Mage? Swordsman? It was a woman with a tome, sword, and a robe that looked eerily familiar. They all had their weapons drawn, and ready to strike in a split second. 'Well, fuck. I'm outnumbered. And I could probably only kill about half and injure the others before getting killed myself.' "You're outnumbered. Give up.", the swordsman/mage woman said. "Heh. You think numbers matter?", Hunter laughed. He instantly felt the lance press against his back more. "I won't forget my original question, now WHERE THE HELL IS HE!?", he roared. 'I feel it, my abilities are back!' "We will not answer you, brigand!", the voice of the lance-man boomed.

"Suit yourself."

He changed his hands to dragon hands and chanted, "Temporuus dominus!" Time flowed at a fraction of it's original speed and Hunter turned and snapped the blade from the shaft of the lance with ease. He took the other man's sword from his hands and tossed it across the hall.

Kriiiiiiiiiiii!

The adverse effects came in and caused Hunter to begin to lose focus. "Gah!", he grunted. With a simple loss of focus, just having it waver, disrupted his spell.

Click!

Time resumed properly, and with it, Hunter felt a migraine come on. "Fuck! GRAAAGGH!", he cried, clutching his head in one human hand, one dragon. His human hand flicked from skin to scale, which baffled the others. "Wha- Where's Falchion!?", Chrom questioned. In one second it was in his hand, the next, across the hall, lodged between two stones. The man behind him gasped as he noticed his broken weapon. But Hunter ignored it and payed full attention to controlling the demon. He was beginning to lose control of it. Spines flicked in and out his back, scales and skin changed back and forth, and canines began to settle in. "Milord, what is this man!?", the confused lance man inquired. "Naga help me...", Hunter muttered. "Lissa, use your staff!", said the blue-haired man. The cleric, now known as Lissa, came up beside the now crouching man. She held her staff over his head, and his migraine died out. He blinked a few times, before looking up with his at the many eyes boring down at him. "Are you alright?", the man from before asked. Hunter changed from a crouched position to a sitting one, with one leg bent up and the other extended, and both hands on the floor to their respective sides. He shut his eyes tight and blinked again, before answering, "Agh... Yeah... But, why did... Why did you help me..? I'm a monster. You all saw... That." Someone cleared their throat, and Hunter looked back to see a large armored man scowling at him. "Perhaps you should answer OUR questions first, beast!" Said remark earned an animalistic growl from the red-tipped black haired man. "Frederick, please. Maybe we should hear him speak his piece." Chrom held a hand out to him, but Hunter still just sat there. "Hmm? Something wrong, sir?", he asked. Hunter squinted his eyes at him. "How do I know I can trust you..?" Once again Hunter felt pressure on his back and he shot his eyes open. "We do not yet trust you either, brigand monster.", Frederick growled. "FREDERICK!", the blue-haired man yelled. Hunter simply sat there, eyes wide as dinner plates, as the blade came that much closer to drawing blood. "I would appreciate it if I WASN'T being threatened every five minutes of my Gods forsaken life..."

The female swordsman/mage stepped forwards and walked beside Chrom. "Chrom, what if this man is just worried for the other man? You told me he had gone mad when you hurt him... Locke? Loxahg?"

Hunter's ears perked up and and he gasped. "THAT'S EXACTLY IT!"

Chrom motioned for Frederick to quit threatening Hunter. "That's why I made you the Tactician, Robin." The one now known as Robin the Tactician smiled, and blushed. She pulled her cowl up before Chrom could see saying it was getting chilly. "Alright, you have my trust, Hunter, was it?"

"Hunt for short if ya like."

Frederick handed back Falchion to Chrom and everyone started to walk back upstairs, when someone grabbed Hunter's coat and whispered something in his ear.

"You have Milord's trust but do not mistake it for having mine. If you so much as bruise Milord you will not see the dawn. Understood?"

"Y-yessir!"

The two men hurried up the stairs to catch up to the group and were greeted with the delicious scent of a feast when they arrived.

|-Information-|

Hunter Taryll:

A young man with a quick-temper.

Gender: Male

Age: 19

Class: Karo Soldier

A well-trained warrior hailing from the mysterious land of Karo.

Weapons: Swords, Tomes, Lances, Dragon

**/Author's Notes: Whew! My first story here and it's massive. Felt the need to write a huge pilot chapter. I'd really like to know how I've done on this and if it's a nice quality. Feel free to point out grammatical/spelling errors and I'll fix 'em as soon as I can! I changed a few things midway through so if something's out of place please shoot me a PM or a reviewy-thing! Thanks for reading Chapter 1 of "The Hunter and The Dragon"!**

**Please rate and review! **

**~ArcaneDragon**


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